It’s November, which means it’s time for me to start thinking about the upcoming holidays. I love to buy gifts, but I hate to shop. So I spend a lot of time thinking about what I want to buy and
Math at Work Special Edition: Alison the shop owner
Film Friday: Last dance
As I announced earlier this week, I’m retiring Film Friday. While I had a lot of fun looking for videos to share with you, the posts didn’t get a lot of traffic. Remembering that insanity is doing the same thing over
Math at Work Monday: Jennifer the retail buyer
Merchandise at your favorite store doesn’t magically appear on the store shelves. In fact, there’s a lot of planning that goes into the number and types of candy bars that fill checkout-line racks. And that’s where Jennifer Cassara comes in.
Math at Work Monday: Josh the head of the Maryland Department of Health
Ooooh! We have a big-wig here at Math for Grownups today! Dr. Joshua Sharfstein is a pediatrician and the Secretary of the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. Before taking this position, he served as the Principal Deputy Commissioner of
Wooden Sandals: A math lesson
When I was a teenager in the 1980s, I wanted a pair of tan Dr. Scholl’s sandals so badly I could taste it. Each time my mother took us to the Eckerd drug store, I made sure to stroll down that aisle
Math at Work Monday: Julie the audiologist
For many of us, math is like hearing — something we take for granted on a daily basis. As an audiologist, Julie Norin pays close attention to both on a day-to-day basis. Here’s how she uses math in her work and
Math Secret #4: You do use algebra
It’s the No. 1 question asked of math teachers: “When will I ever use this stuff?” And in terms of upper-level math — conic sections, radicals, differentiation and the quadratic formula — the answer may very well be, “Not much.”
Reducing the Emotional Punch of Caregiving — with Math
On Friday, I was guest poster at The Cheerful Caregiver, a great blog for folks who are serving as caregivers for ill family members and friends. Every caregiving situation is unique, filled with distinctive obstacles and one-of-a-kind blessings. But
Math and the Gender Gap: Does it affect financial planning?
So let’s get one thing straight right away: men are not inherently better at math than women. And as our mothers and grandmothers and daughters have shown, women are not inherently bad at managing their finances. But there are some
Math at Work Monday, Ursula the glass artist
Ursula Marcum practices an amazing art form called kiln-formed glass, which she can explain better than I. Her pieces are layered and rich, unlike any other glass I’ve ever seen. Like most artists, Ursula does quite of bit of basic math
Math at Work Monday: Gina the executive vice president
Those suits in the corner office–what do they do anyway? Well, they manage employees, set budgets and goals and plan for growth. Oh, and some math. Gina Foringer is an executive vice president for Versar, a publicly held, departement of defense
Early Math for Babies and Parents
When my daughter was born more than 11 years ago, I knew a few things: Physically connecting with her would help us bond, breastfeeding is best, and reading to her—even at a very young age—was critical for later language development.